Articulated car



Dec. 22, 1936.

ARTICULATED CAR Fi led March 13, 1955 2 Sheets-Shget 1 5y DAV/0 M. 19/7'6'19/5 Dec; 22, 1936. T. H. SCHOEPF ET AL 7 ARTICULATED CAR Filed March 13, 1935 2 SheetS-Shee't 2 a X f I I I l l I l I l I I l I I l I J I l I l ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNETE STATES PATENT QFFEQE ARTICULATED CAR poration of Ohio Application March 13, 1935, Serial No. 10,802

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to articulated. railway cars.

In particular our invention relates to combined trunnions and thrust plates on the end sill castings on adjacent cars.

It is our particular object to provide a rocking and rolling engagement between the end thrust facings of end sill castings.

It is our object to'provide such an arrangement of end sill castings in conjunction with trunnions; and in particular to provide continuous arcuate rolling surfaces for the end sill castings where they abut with the faces of the trunnions.

It is an object to provide an arcuate face on the abutting ends of the end sill castings so that the thrust through the plane of the bodies or floors of the car will be taken on these arcuate rolling faces and applied uniformly irrespective of the angularity of the bodies, leaving only the weight of the body or car platforms to be supported on the trunnions.

It is a further object to provide a unitary casting as an end sill thrust member and as a 2' trunnion.

It is an object to provide for lateral as well as vertical movement in connection with the end sill casting thrust member and to provide for similar movements in the trunnions.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of adjacent car platform ends adjacent engaging end sill casting thrust members and trunnions. In this view there is shown the trunnions and end sill thrust members having surfaces that are substantially three quarters of a sphere.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modification in which the surfaces of the end sill thrust members are flat on top and constitute extensions of the car platforms, thereby reducing the space between the ends of the cars to the minimum.

Figure 3 is a similar View of a second modification showing a form of end sill thrust member and trunnion in which the abutting faces have lengthened depending portions consisting of flattened adjacent faces in the trunnion area and arcuate faces in the end sill thrust member area.

Figure 4 is a similar view of a third modifica- 5 tion illustrating the use of arcuate faced, end

sill thrust members formed on the ends of the car platforms independently of the depending trunnions.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a fourth modi- 55 fication.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of one of the car bodies shown in Figure 5.

It will be understood that the drawings are diagrammatic for the purpose of simplicity and clarity. No attempt has been made in these 5 drawings to give exact proportions or the details of construction, as these matters are not important in the illustration of the principle of this invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I and 2 10 designate the platforms of adjacent cars.

In Figure 1 each of these platforms is provided with a single unitary casting constituting an arcuate end thrust member and a depending trunnion. A section of the sphere consti- 15 tuting the end thrust member and the trunnion is removed to form an angular receiving space 3 for the vertical end face 4 of the car body and the bottom 5 of the outer end of the car body or car platform. The surface of the combined 20 end thrust member and trunnion designated 6 is a spherical surface. The faces of the adja cent trunnions engage at l as end thrust members. They rock upon each other as the lower trunnion faces 8 rock within the corresponding surfaces 9 of the socket plate or center plate .10 that is carried on the conventional bolster of the truck supporting the ends of the car platform.

The trunnions and their car platforms are restrained from moving away from the center plate In by the interlocking finger H retained on the bottom of the extension I 2 of the trunnion casting. The bolt l3 serves to retain this member II in position within the socket M on the end of the center plate H). The connection between H and the socket plate It] is a loose connection to permit the rocking of the body. The face of the end sill thrust casting and the trunnion is described about the center I5 40 which is the corner of the car platform.

It will be observed that when the cars pass over breaks in grade, there will be no change in the point of engagement and the location of the point of engagement between the end sill thrust members 6 irrespective of the angularity of the bodies I and 2, either due to breaks in grade or tortional twists due to super-elevated rails on curves.

In the form shown in Figure 2, the top of the combined trumiion and end sill casting thrust member is flat at 6a and is a continuation of the surface of the car platform. This reduces the space between the castings and therefore reduces the space that must be covered by a vestibule platform when it is desired to pass from one car to the other.

In Figure 3 the adjacent faces of the end sill castings Where they abut are arcuate at l6, but are described on a straight line at H. The center description of the trunnion faces is about the engaging point 1.

By the arrangement shown in Figure 3, a larger, deeper and broader trunnion bearing face is provided in a single socket in the center plate is whereas in the previous constructions dual sockets are employed.

It Will be noted in Figure 2 that the rib 58 extends to a point above the bottoms 5 of the adjacent bodies and to a point above the surface E9 of the socket plate Hi. This provides a broader bearing surface for the trunnions While at the same time permits the car bodies a greater latitude in their angular position due to breaks in grade as the bottoms of the bodies 5 will not engage the tops E9 of the socket plate ll].

Referring to Figure 4, in this view the end sill castings are formed integrally as arcuate ends for horizontal and vertical rotating movement. These ends are parts of the car platforms l and 2. The ends are described about the centers 29.

The trunnions depend below the bodies and the trunnion faces M are described about the engaging point 22 which is on a plane running horizontally adjacent the center of the car platforms l and 2.

Referring specifically to the modification shown in Figs. 5 and. 6, it will be seen that the car platforms I have webs la formed thereon, and that, as best seen in Fig. 6, between these webs or brace-like parts are shoulders Eb. These webs strengthen the shoulders and the shoulders themselves form contact members as shown at l in Fig. 5. When the cars are traveling on curves and assume a relative position in the form of an obtuse angle, the contact 'l is made, not in the center of the shoulders 6b but along their circular portions, more or less, according to the radius of the curves in the rails. And as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the trunnions 6 for a distance on their circumferences are coincident with the curve of the shoulders 61). Thus the two trunnions are in abutting relation as well as are the shoulders 61) in abutting relation.

As further seen in Fig. 5, the trunnions are provided with a recess a, as indicated in dotted lines. But this recess has nothing to do with the subject matter claimed herein.

Fig. 6 further shows that the trunnions 5 constitute semi-spherical bodies, preferably cast integral with the platform or underframe thereof, having webs la and the trunnions 6 and shoulders Eb. The semi-spherical form of the trunnions is shown at 8 in Fig. 6 where one trunnion is seated in the socket 9 of the center or bolster plate It.

It will be understood that we desire to comprehend within our invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a center plate having adjacent semi-circular depressions, adjacent car platforms having partial spherical ends constituting arcuate engaging thrust members, and depending arcuate trunnions extending from the platforms for engagement with the semi-circular depressions in said center plate.

2. In combination, car platforms having arcuate abutting faces and trunnions depending from the platforms, and a, center plate having recesses corresponding to said trunnions in which they are adapted to articulate in universal directions, and means between the car platforms and the center plate comprising interlocking fingers and sockets therefor, to maintain the. trunnions essentially within the depressions in the center plate.

3. In combination, car platforms, a trunnion secured to each car platform, each trunnion including a portion extending between the adjacent platform ends and. in contact with each other to constitute a thrust bearing, and the lower part of each trunnion portion having an arcuate surface to form the trunnion proper, and a center plate with arcuate sockets adapted to receive the arcuate surfaces of the trunnions.

THEODORE H. SCHOEPF. DAVID M. RITCHIE. 

